South Side Fireworks Man

Why would he get thrown at again? Even if you totally believe in the sacred "unwritten law" about not swinging at 3-0 during a blowout, is it really that big of a deal to throw at the guy a second time even after the opposing manager groveled with a public and private apology and your pitcher was fined and suspended for three games and your manager was also fined and suspended a game? Does it make any sense to continue this and throw at the guy again?? If they do throw at Yermin again over this silly shit, the pitcher and manager should be suspended for 50 games.

I'm 60+ and I agree wholeheartedly with this post.

I would hate it at the moment it happens, but it would be hilarious poetic justice if the next time the Sox are ahead by 11 runs (with LaRussa managing) they blow it and lose the game.

How many of those previous 557 pitches were 47mph right over the plate?

Then all he had to say is something like, Yeah we had the take sign on but he missed it, so he just reacted to seeing a meatball coming over the heart of the plate and he swung at it. I guess since we were in a blowout he wasn't really looking for a sign. We talked about it afterwards and it's all taken care of.

There is such a thing as sportsmanship and some of those "old school unwritten rules" have merit. For instance, if you're ahead 15-4 in the top of the ninth with a runner on first you're not going to have him trying to steal second base or try to bunt him over so you could scratch out another run. Or if you have a runner on third and the batter hits a fly ball you're not going to try to bowl over the catcher at home trying to score when you have an 11 run lead. Things like that. But you shouldn't start giving away at bats or making outs on purpose. That's not respecting the game, that's disrespecting it. The person pitching should be doing his best to get the batter out and the batter should be doing his best to get a hit. If not, institute a slaughter rule.

LaRussa handled it all wrong. All he had to do is approach Mercedes in the clubhouse and tell him "the next time you get a take sign you will take the pitch." If he felt he had to say something to the media he could have simply said that Yermin didn't see the take sign and simply reacted to seeing a meatball coming right over the plate. After the Twins threw at Yermin the next day, he should have said while he understands why the Twins were upset at Yermin, throwing at one of his players for hitting a home run is an unacceptable overreaction and he's glad the umpires stepped in and did the right thing and hopefully this closes the matter. Discipline your players in private if you feel it necessary but have their backs in public. Tony did the opposite. And besides, Yermin did nothing wrong swinging at that pitch and the Twins were just being little babies about it.

Let's see how much fun Larussa's bullshit is going to be when the Sox are on a losing streak.

KW and Frank had a feud over an issue like this.

Stone praising Moncada for "really stepping up" since Abreu is out.

That's why you run through instead of dive.

Yep, a turning point downward.

Remember how good we were all feeling when the Sox were creaming the Twins Monday night? Tony took care of that.

Tony said he sent a message to the Twins apologizing for Yermin's home run. The message he really sent by that is "The Sox are still the Twin's bitches." Baldelli responded by throwing at a Sox player. LaRussa's response was, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

Great video clip.

As someone who considers himself "old school" in a lot of ways I can tell you that Tony is full of shit on this.

Should immediately be suspended for gambling.

So it's confirmed Yermin didn't blatantly ignore the take sign he just missed it. So LaRussa got angry over a simple missed sign during a meaningless part of a game, made a big issue in public over it, formally apologized to the Twins about it, then did not get angry but actually defended the Twins for throwing at his own player. Fuck you, Tony, and fuck you JR.

LaRussa turned a feel good blowout against our arch-rivals into a downer. Instead of apologizing to the Twins for his star player hitting a home run he should have defended his player for being thrown at. But no, he actually defended the Twins for throwing at his own player. Unbelievable and indefensible.

Larussa turned a White Sox laugher against one of their arch-rivals into a negative experience which can possibly become a downward turning point for the season. He sends a message apologizing to the Twins for one of his players hitting a home run, while throwing his own player under the bus in the media. Then the Twins respond to his apology by throwing at his player. LaRussa responds by defending the Twins saying he has no problem with it. These are beyond defensible and are certainly fireable offenses. But because Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf doesn't respect the team or it's fans, the White Sox continue to be an embarassment of an organization.

We can dream.

Why not Justin Jirschele? I thought he was a prime candidate to be the next Sox manager a year or two ago. Did his stock drop with the organization? If people are suggesting a return of Ozzie, or as you suggest a Player-Manager Abreu, then I'm going to lobby for my man, Carl Everett for Sox manager. At least he'll bring an edge to the team and he'll always have the player's backs. Either Carl or AJ Pierzynski would work too.

It certainly appears that way.

I don't remember him ever defending his own players this year.

If that's a real TLR quote, he should be fired tonight. Of course he won't be, so fuck JR, and fuck Tony.